Snap Shots
by LadyKnightOfHollyrose
Summary: “Never say you were worried on my account,” he panted, grin still managing to stay in place even as blood coloured his fingers. 50 themes.
1. Chapter 1

_**Snap Shots**_

**_Disclaimer:_** I don't own Naruto.

**_Summary: _** "Never say you were worried on my account," he panted, grin still managing to stay in place even as blood coloured his fingers. 50 themes.

1# Walking  
Words: 49  
Every time he returned from a mission, she'd be there, waiting. She always insisted that she had just been taking a stroll that just happened to go past the gates but he could always notice the tell-tale glisten on her forehead or hear her panting for air. Every time.

#2 Waltz  
Words: 58  
He could never explain why, but every time she caught his eye he felt giddy. For no apparent reason, when she walked by his heart went b-bump b-bump instead of the usual bump bump (even though he hadn't done any training yet). How could she invoke the symptoms of dancing non-stop by just a flick of her hair?

#3 Wishes  
Words: 52  
She had always scoffed from behind as he paraded around his nigh-impossible dream of becoming the Hokage. When he had turned and asked her, what was her dream? What was it that she wanted to achieve? She couldn't answer. Apart from never being asked _that_ before, she found that she didn't know.

#4 Wonder  
Words: 53  
She couldn't help but wonder why she'd never noticed the finer details before.  
The way his big grin would always appear a fraction of a second too soon.  
The way that his bright eyes could hold such maturity when they shone with childish pleasure.  
But why, she asked herself, was she noticing now?

#5 Worry  
Words: 61  
"Never say you were worried on my account," he panted, grin still managing to stay in place even as blood coloured his fingers.  
All she could do was swipe angrily at the tears that had been forming at the edges of her eyes and shake her head stubbornly.  
Neither would forget how her hands trembled as she bandaged the deep gash.

-Hollyrose-

**A/N:** I needed to practice writing drabbles and writing fluff (since I'm not particularly good at either), thus this was born! The pairing is NaruIno, a pairing that I hadn't really considered until reading a really good fic called "You Owe Me".

Thanks for reading – please leave a review and tell me what you thought and where I could improve, and I'll post the next batch as soon as I can.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Snap Shots**_

_**Disclaimer:**_ I don't own Naruto.

_**Summary: **_ "Never say you were worried on my account," he panted, grin still managing to stay in place even as blood coloured his fingers. 50 themes.

#6 Whimsy  
Words: 44  
She'd always daydreamed when she was at the academy, about riding into the sunset with a tall, dark, handsome prince who'd whisk her away to his castle.  
She'd never considered falling for the spiky haired blond with the goofy smile.  
But she wasn't complaining.

#7 Wasteland (part 1)  
Words: 52  
Together, they could turn the most barren wasteland into a place of prosperity. Hand in hand they could do everything and anything.  
Well, that's what he told her, anyway.  
She would elbow him for his folly, but it was these comments that kept her spirits up for the rest of the day.

#7 Wasteland (part 2)  
Words: 61  
Like a delicate flower, grown in the harshest and most desolate conditions, he grew up in a barren wasteland even when surrounded by life. Still, there were thorns to deter any misconceptions of weakness.  
Luckily; like that flower, when not even the strongest winds could dislodge it, he stood firm no matter what she said. It was one of his charms.

#8 Whiskey and Rum  
Words: 67  
She wasn't one to spill secrets – especially her own. She avoided drinking sake since she didn't like the taste and, well, the fact that it was alcohol was enough to deter her.  
But at a sleepover, a single chocolate and she lost the ability to lock away those secrets and throw away the key.  
The next day, she wondered why Sakura and Tenten were smirking at her.

#9 War  
Words: 60  
He glanced mischievously at her. She raised a brow.  
He batted his eyes. She just rolled her's.  
He gazed into her eyes. She stared right back.  
Blue met blue. Sparks flew.  
He grinned his triumph. She sighed in defeat.  
Letting him drag her away, she allowed herself a small smile – it seemed that there was some reward in defeat too.

#10 Weddings  
Words: 109  
He looked at the white-clad, pink-haired kunoichi before him. Sea green glanced at sky blue briefly. He grinned encouragingly. He was rewarded with a thankful smile of his own.  
The ring was placed on her finger. They both smiled.  
She reached forwards. Before she knew what hit her she was swept into an enthusiastic kiss by the one beside her.  
Once she was set down, he grinned again pulling her close.  
"Congratulations Sakura, Lee!"

Sakura whispered something into his ear. He glanced at the blonde a few paces behind him, cheeks blazing. She looked up; he avoided her gaze.  
That day the wedding bells mocked his lack of courage.

-Hollyrose-

**A/N:** Ugh, some of these ones are probably confusing… If you don't get what's going on in any of them please review or PM me and I'll try to explain it. So, another 5 done!  
Thank you, everyone who reviewed – your comments kept me from procrastinating long enough to type these up and post them!

Also, thanks to everyone who is reading – please leave a review and tell me what you thought and where I could improve.  
See you nest chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

_**Snap Shots**_

_**Disclaimer:**_ I still don't own Naruto.

_**Summary: **_ "Never say you were worried on my account," he panted, grin still managing to stay in place even as blood coloured his fingers. 50 themes.

#11 Birthday  
Words: 125  
He was on his way home after being treated to Ichiraku's ramen by Iruka Sensei. He chuckled to himself, remembering today's encounter with Hinata; she never ceased to amaze him by the way that she would always make time to see him, without fail.  
He dragged his reluctant feet along, not really wanting to go back to his apartment when a blonde missile charged at him, almost knocking him over.  
Face hidden under long bangs, a voice murmured "Happy Birthday," shoving something into his hands. Not waiting for a response the blonde was gone, leaving a trail of dust behind her.  
He smiled and wondered if what Hinata had was contagious since what little he'd seen of the girl's face had been bright red too.

#12 Blessings  
Words: 110  
He looked long and hard at the boy shifting uncomfortably under his gaze. His lips formed a grim line. His face grew hard, the way it did when about to refuse to buy that "oh-so-cute-but-_slightly_-expensive-dress-that-I-just-**have**-to-have".  
He glanced at the boy again; his hand was curled protectively around the smaller one inside. His usual aura of a mixture of insolence and defiance had melted away and the boy looked slightly concerned as he glanced at his companion.  
He, too, let his eyes travel over to the girl. Sighing, his expression softened after one look at her face.  
He nodded. The girl and boy sighed with relief.  
Just like with the dress…

#13 Bias  
Words: 60  
She frowned at him across the table. Of all people, she thought she could count on him to tell her the truth; but apparently not.  
She raised an eyebrow, mirroring her disbelief at his denial.  
Still, he shook his head vehemently, insisting that he spoke the truth.  
"But I'm _not_ obsessed with ramen! I'm just partial to it; that's all!"

#14 Burning  
Words: 113  
A bead of sweat snaked down his cheek, his brows furrowed in concentration. He stared before him with such focus that he only reserved for when throwing a kunai.  
As a stroke of genius hit him, his eyes lit.  
Throwing his 'weapons' of choice into position he beamed at his opponent.  
She glanced briefly at his 'attack'. A slightly predatory glint slid into her eyes as her grin morphed into more of a smirk. She placed the letters 'I', 'N' and 'G' onto the end of the previous 'move'.  
"Triple word score plus that double letter score."  
He winced at her smug tone.  
"Nani? That's cheating; you cant just turn 'burn' into 'burning'!"

#15 Breathing  
Words: 74  
He cursed silently as her body went limp.  
Why…Why was she always so reckless?  
Moving towards her, he froze. Panic bubbled at the back of his throat. She was completely motionless.  
Urging himself to keep moving he approached the still figure…  
And heaved a sigh of relief.  
The steady rise and fall of her chest reassured him for a moment.  
The he began to plan his lecture; that Mind Transfer Jutsu could be lethal!

-Hollyrose-

**A/N: **#12 was supposed to be in Yamanaka Inoichi and #14 was actually about playing Scrabble (as weird as that sounds) – I was trying to do something completely different to what would usually be written for a word like 'Burning':  
_**Disclaimer 2**_ I don't own scrabble either._**  
**_At some point I'll turn #10 from the last chapter into a one-shot to make it a little less confusing, though I doubt it will be until my exams are finished (damn GCSEs – we aren't even getting study leave!).

Leave a review and I'll see you next update!


	4. Chapter 4

_**Snap Shots**_

_**Disclaimer:**_ I still don't own Naruto.

_**Summary: **_"Never say you were worried on my account," he panted, grin still managing to stay in place even as blood coloured his fingers. 50 themes.

#16 Breaking  
Words: 53  
She forced her face blank.  
Breathe in. Breathe out.  
She was on a mission. She couldn't let anything cloud her judgement.  
She glanced at him. Her hands shook slightly.  
Anything.  
Taking a kunai, she leapt to her feet – she had a job to do.  
Besides, she would never be the first to break.

#17 Belief  
Words: 75  
Getting ready to form the final seal, she looked across at him uncertainly.  
Maybe this wasn't such a great idea after all.  
His features were quizzical.  
Sighing, she let her hands fall to her sides.  
"I can't."  
His eyes went wide. He'd never seen the usually confident kunoichi filled with such doubt.  
His own eyes hardened with determination.  
"Yes you can."  
It was the look of complete conviction in his eyes that drove her forward.

#18 Balloon  
Words: 114  
Seeing the girl looking mournfully at the sky, he mustered all of the courage that his five year old self possessed and went over to her.  
Touching her shoulder gently, he sent her a kind but enquiring glance.  
The corners of her watered slightly, tears threatening to spill, as she explained "My balloon… I let go of it by accident!"  
He looked at her awkwardly for a moment, not knowing what to do. Then an idea struck him.  
Reaching into his pocket he retrieved something and pressed it into the girl's hand, before sprinting away.  
Looking down at her now closed fist, she unfurled her fingers and smiled at the lollipop that they revealed.

#19 Balcony  
Words: 103  
-Bang-  
Furrowing his brows, he stuffed his head under his pillow.  
-Bang-  
Groaning tiredly, he stumbled out of bed to the source of annoyance: the window.  
-Bang-  
Throwing open his curtains irritably he was greeted by a mischievous grin (much like his own at a less un-godly hour).  
"Naruto, Naruto, where for art thou Naruto?" The girl below bowed dramatically with an elaborate flourish.  
She waited for a response. None came.  
Peeking up uncertainly her playfulness was replaced by exasperation, seeing the other blond snore lightly on the sill. She had to refrain from throwing up another rock.  
So much for being romantic.

#20 Bane  
Words: 98  
He could've been the bane of the village…  
Shot looks of disgust and disdain from such an age would create bitterness in even the kindest, most cheerful or excitable of hearts; whether the one in question acted upon such treatment or not.

The poison of the villagers almost forced him into the deepest pit of despair… Trapped; unable to escape.  
That is, until she came.  
Her, with her bright smiles: chasing away his desolation.  
Her, with her boundless optimism: shedding light into his dark corner.  
She was his antidote.

-Hollyrose-

**_A/N:_ **…Sleepy! It's 2 am so I can't really be bothered to type a proper A/N. Hope you enjoyed the next instalment!


	5. Chapter 5

_**Snap Shots**_

_**Disclaimer:**_ I have a feeling that I'll _never_ own Naruto.

_**Summary: **_"Never say you were worried on my account," he panted, grin still managing to stay in place even as blood coloured his fingers. 50 themes.

#21 Quiet  
Words: 98  
When Ino stopped swooning at Sasuke and Naruto ceased pestering Sakura for a date, no one questioned the change; it was simply assumed that they had given up.  
Not that they had moved on and found someone else.  
When the heated retorts and irritable remarks reduced, their team mates couldn't believe their luck.  
It never occurred to them that these remarks were being saved for someone else.  
It was only when Naruto didn't even blink at his Sensei's lateness and Ino didn't scold Chouji about his eating habits that their team mates began to feel suspicious. Worried, even.

#22 Quirks  
Words: 70  
It really infuriated her: the way that spark in his eye would accompany that mischievous smile when he glanced her way.  
The moment that insufferable grin appeared, all of her senses would immediately become alert, anticipating the moment that he would no doubt strike.  
He did, without fail, every time.  
Every time, without fail, she'd jump out of her skin.  
But then again, she wouldn't have him any other way.

#23 Question  
Words: 92  
He'd never been good at asking for things.  
He'd never really needed to before; it wasn't as though there was anyone _to_ ask.  
Whenever he came across a situation in which a request of some sort was unavoidable he took the only rout he saw:  
to prod  
to hint  
to generally beat around the bush

"…Ino?"  
"Hmm?"  
"I've been thinking-"  
"Uh oh."  
"-Uzumaki sound better…"  
"What are you talking about?"  
"Uzumaki Ino. It sounds _much_ better than Yamanaka Ino."  
-Silence-  
"Naruto. Are you… proposing to me?"  
"Huh? Yeah, I guess I am."

#24 Quarrel  
Words: 89  
He looked genuinely baffled when he said, "But I don't get it! What did I do that was so wrong?"  
He couldn't help the note of plea that entered his voice.  
No response.  
"How was I supposed to know it wasn't right? It's not like I've ever done this before!"  
More silence.  
"I guess I've got your answer then." She'd never heard him so dejected before.  
She let out a sigh.  
Well, if he couldn't figure it out for himself, she _certainly_ wouldn't be the one to tell him.

#25 Quitting  
Words: 95  
"I just don't get it!"  
"Well, how the hell am I supposed to know, Dobe?"  
"Well if you can't figure it out, I certainly won't tell you."  
-No sympathy (or good advice) here-

She sighed, "Naruto-kun. Most girls dream of the perfect wedding for their whole lives. Naturally the same goes for the perfect, romantic, proposal…" She shook her head at his wide-eyed expression.  
Covering a smile with her hand, she watched as he sprinted away. It seemed as though he wouldn't admit defeat just yet.  
"Because I won't go back on my word either."

-Hollyrose-

**A/N: **22 to 25 are all supposed to be linked. See if you can tell who's saying what in number 25; I'll tell you the answer next chapter.  
Wow, I can't believe I'm halfway through already! This is the farthest I've ever gotten on one project!  
Happy New Year everyone!


	6. Chapter 6

**_Snap Shots _**

**_Disclaimer:_** I own a grand total of one volume of Naruto (and a few issues of Shonen Jump). But that's it. 

**_Summary: _**"Never say you were worried on my account," he panted, grin still managing to stay in place even as blood coloured his fingers. 50 themes.

# 26 Jump  
Words: 127  
She knew she was being ridiculous. It had only been a short mission but he'd still been experiencing 'Naruto Withdrawal Symptoms' as she'd mentally dubbed her more-violent-than-usual mood swings and urge to eat miso ramen.  
He'd just returned from Hokage Tower and looked exhausted, but even as she stared into his bright eyes she briefly wandered whether he realised that every time she did, she would probably agree to anything that he asked; whether it be to help him set up the ultimate prank or to leap off the edge of the Hokage Stone Faces.

On second thoughts maybe it was better that he didn't seem to know… As much as she'd missed him, she didn't feel like going to Ichiraku's for the rest of the week.

#27 Jester  
Words: 70  
So she glared and grumbled along with everyone else as the whole class was punished for one of his silly pranks. Sure she'd thrown in the odd "You Idiot!" when he was the cause of another unexpected quiz.  
But that didn't stop her from smirking as Iruka Sensei got a nose bleed from his "Sexy Jutsu" or going wide eyed as an elaborate plan was laid out and well executed.

#28 Jousting  
Words: 92  
She'd never really understood why the boys in her class (excluding Shikamaru) loved to charge at each other with sticks (especially since no more than a second later, the sticks lay forgotten in the dirt and an all out brawl using fists started).  
She was completely stunned when Sasuke I-don't-have-time-for-this Uchiha got involved, completely forgoing the 'stick-stage' and jumping straight to the fight.  
What eluded Ino was the reason that her heart sank when she saw Sasuke's bruised aggressor slink away as the victor tried to flick away his admirers like flies.

#29 Jewel  
Words: 89  
It was the first time he'd bought her a present. In fact, it was the first time he wasn't giving someone ramen coupons. Well, actually, he'd given her ramen coupons _as well as_ something else. To be completely honest; he'd been completely terrified as he handed over the scruffily wrapped gift. He had his (admittedly bad) joke prepared in case she didn't like it.  
Now, as she turned the package over in her hands curiously he wondered why he hadn't asked Sakura for advice…  
…It was too late now.

#30 Just  
Words: 101  
Just like other members of the male species, he knew to be cautious in interpreting the phrase "I'll be ready in (insert time here)" from a woman.

He always insisted that he loved her no matter what; whether clad in bloodstained training gear, elegant gowns or sloppy pyjamas. She didn't need to spend hours getting ready – she always looked beautiful to him.  
But when she finally descended, he would feel his heart swell in an unfamiliar manner – he'd never had anyone dress up for _him_ before.

And she always felt justified in taking her time when greeted with his disarming smile.

-Hollyrose-

**A/N: **From last chapter, number 25:  
"I just don't get it!" - Naruto  
"Well, how the hell am I supposed to know, Dobe?" - Sasuke  
"Well if you can't figure it out, I certainly won't tell you." - Sakura  
Naruto's saviour (read: adviser) was supposed to be Hinata. Since this one is set when they're older I think that Hinata would mainly loose her stutter; who knows, maybe she's gotten over Naruto too. :D

Thanks for reading!


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